Card filing equipment



2 Shets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 8, 1943 A WW $1. Mm

June 21, 1949. c, B U

CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Original Filed Nov 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cam) FILING EQUIPMENT (lriginal'v application November 8, 1943', Serial No. 509,389. Divided and this application April 25, 1-946, Serial No. 664,941

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to card filing equipment and particularly to a mechanism adapted to support a rotary card file for'swinging movement between a storage position inside a desk or other suitable work support and an aperative position outside the desk.

This application is a division of the copending application of George C'. Bruen, Serial No. 509,389, for Card filing equipment, filed November 8, 1943, now Patent No. 2,424,144, dated July 1947.

it is an object of this invention toprovide card filing equipment adapted to be; housed in a structure such, for example, as the desk of an executive, and to provide for-convenient and expeditious handling of a large number of cards.

Another object of the invention is to provide card filing equipment includingone or more rotary card files which are mounted upon a supporting linkage of levers by which the. rotary files may be moved in and out of a. housing with a mini.- mum amount of efiort.

The invention has for a further object the provision of an improved form, of card filing equipment which may be. conveniently brought. into position for reading or handling of cards and having data placed. thereon in a direction promoting ease of reference- As another object. the invention comprehends the provision of improved card: filing equipment which is sturdy, serviceable and adapted to be manufactured at a low cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevationalview of a supporting mechanism for a rotatable. filing. member, showing the working position of the card filing equipment in full lines and the storage position in dot and dash lines; and.

Fig. 2 is an end elevationaLview of thesupporting mechanism taken substantially one. line 2--2 of Fig. 1 to show the rotatable filing, memberin section.

For exemplary purposes, the. rotary file; supporting mechanism depicted; in drawings is shown in an adaptation to one form of. rotary 2 file, although other varieties of, such files might well be used therewith.

Referring generally to the; structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, 2i] indicates a rotary card file in its entirety as used in coniunction, with the supporting mechanism of the. present invention, which file is carried by a housing,v Such as an office desk, for complete enclosure therein- For illustrative purposes, the desk is depicted. ashaving a top 2i and side panels 22 and 23, which panels are carried by an intermediate post 24 and a corner post. 25, respectively;

Immediately towards the left of the. post 2:3. as viewed in Fig. 2, an open space 28. is provided below the desk top 2! which may be used for receiving thefeet and legs of a worker seated in a chair.

Although only one side. of the desk is shown equipped with a rotary file, it may be readily understood that a similar rotary file may be installed in the usual drawer space on the other side of the desk.

As depicted in Figs. 1 and 2', the rotary file 20' is supported for rotation upon a horizontally disposed cylindrical shaft 21. In order to provide a light and inexpensive structure, the rotatable member 24] may be constructed almost entirely of wood utilizing polygonal end walls 28 and 29 provided with central bores for receiving the shaft 21.

In the particular rotary file disclosed, the end walls 28 and 29 are hexagonal. In any instance, the number of sides utilized on a rotatable file member of this type is determined by thesize of the cards which are to be carried, thereby and also by the limits of space within which the rotary file member is to be confined.

By preference, the end walls 23 and 29 have rectangular slots 30 at their corners which receive partition frame members 3| of wood in positions such that they project radially outwardly. Elongated rectangular apertures 32 are desirably provided in the partition members to form elongated pull bars 33 adapted to use as I handles for the movement of the rotatable file member by the operator.

In order to provide a plurality of bases for supporting trays which carry file cards 34, the end walls. 28 and 29 have sidewalls 35 secured to their outer. surfaces. The side walls are rectangular in plan and have their edges 36 beveled, as illustrated in Fig. l, and spaced sufficiently to receive therebetween the partition members 3|.

Along opposed side surfaces and near the side walls 35, each partition member 3| carries a sheet metal guide 3? which preferably consists of a strip of sheet metal having an attaching flange 38 and a guiding flange 39. The flanges 38 and 88 are disposed at an obtuse angle relative to one another so that the attaching flanges may be secured to the side walls 35 with the guiding flanges substantially parallel to and spaced from a cardsupporting base to provide opposed slides at opposite sides of each of the side walls 35. Each side wall 35 of the rotatable member and the guides 3's on the opposite sides thereof serve as supports for card-carrying trays of a type such as that shown.

Referring more particularly to the illustrative form of card-carrying trays shown in Figs. 1 and I 2, it has a substantially plane or flat base 40 which may be made of wood, plywood or the like. At opposite ends of the base 40 and secured thereto are end walls M and d2 which, together with the base 4B, are adapted to carry card-supporting bars 53, which bar extend longitudinally between the end walls and are laterally spaced in substantially parallel relationship.

On opposite sides, and opening outwardly, the base 49 is provided with longitudinally extending slots 44 which also extend through the end walls AH and i2 to receive the guide flanges 39 of the guides 37 for removably supporting the trays relative to the rotatable file 2B.

The illustrated card-carrying trays each have a base suited in size to the side walls 35 of the rotatable file and is adapted to placement thereon by sliding the tray endwise between the partition members 3 l. By this structure and arrangement of parts, the card-carrying trays are disposed axially of the rotary file and may be slid endwise to a projecting position relative to the rotatable file and over the lap of the worker for convenient use or may be easily removed from the rotatable file for use at a different or more convenient place.

To provide a fixed connection between the rotary fiile 2E] and the shaft 27, an auxiliary wooden plate 45 is secured to each end wall 28 and 29 and said wood plate surrounds the shaft and gives additional surface for securement of the rotary file to the shaft by gluing or other convenient means.

The horizontally disposed cylindrical shaft '2'! is carried by a mechanism including pairs of links #6 and 41 on each side of the rotary file. Each link 41 comprises a cylindrical rod or tube 48 provided at its lower end with a bearing fixture 50. Each bearing fixture Ed has a bore 5| for rotatably receiving a stub shaft 52 which projects from a base plate 53 carried by the adjacent panel of the desk. At their upper ends, the links 47 carry bearing fixtures 69 and BI which, by preference, differ somewhat in structure and operation. The link, to which each is attached, is optional, although, as will appear more fully, there is some preference for having the fixture 6! near the operators position. Each of the bearing fixtures 49 and BI rotatably carries one end of the shaft 21 which supports the rotary file 20. Each stub shaft 52 is provided with a threaded bore in which a cap screw 54 is threaded to hold the bearing 50 in place.

The bearing fixture til at the upper end of one of the links 41 is preferably of a type adapted to place a predetermined amount of friction on the shaft 21. To provide the desired friction for adjustably restraining movements of the rotary file, the bearing 6| has two parts, as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, which are provided with opposed cylindrical bearing portions 62 and 63, and with adjacent attaching flanges 64, 65, 66 and 61 on opposite sides of the bearing portions.

The attaching flanges 66 and El are secured together on one side of the bearing by means such as a cap screw 68. The two bearing portions 62 and 63 preferably have frictional lingings t9 and 10 of leather, fiber or other suitable material which engages the shaft 21 to provide a predetermined frictional drag on the shaft to oppose its rotation.

One preferred manner of providing for the regulation of friction is to have the flanges 6E and 65 normally spaced from each other and subject to manual adjustment toward and from the shaft by a thumb screw 73. To effect this result, the lower flange 65 may have a nut 'il Welded to it for receiving the lower threaded end "E2 of the screw 13, the annular shoulder 74 of which bears on the upper flange 64. A knurled handle 75 provides a convenient grip for adjusting the screw 13. Placement of the bearing fixture 8i and screw 13 on the side of the rotary file near the operators position gives ease of access for making adjustments.

The links 46 are identical in construction and each may comprise a cast metal arm 76 having a bearing portion ll at its upper end for receiving a stub shaft 78, which stub shaft is carried by a base plate 19 secured to an adjacent panel of the desk. The stub shaft-has in its projecting end a bore into which a cap screw 8!! is threaded to hold the bearing H in place.

At the lower end of each arm 76 is an integral bearing portion 82 carried for swinging movement by a trunnion 83. Sliders 84 and 35 are mounted for longitudinal sliding movement along glare rods 48, and each carries one of the trunnions The linkage illustrated in Fig. 1 has two positions, the operative position which is shown in full lines, and the storage position which is shown in dot and dash lines.

The operation of the card filing equipment is as follows: The worker may grasp one of the handles 33 to rotate the card file 20 about the axis of the shaft 21 until a desired tray is at the top. In this manner various trays of the file are made accessible for easy access. Movement of the file between the exposed and storage positions is effected by force applied to a part of the file, such as a handle 33, to move the file with its support mechanism. When this is done, the sliders 84 and 85 will slide along the rods 48, and the shaft 21 will travel along the arcuate path depicted in Fig. 1 until it reaches the positions indicated in solid and dot and dash lines.

It is only necessary to exert a lifting force until the shaft 21 has passed its highest position, after which it will drop by its own weight to one or the other of the extreme positions shown in Fig. l. The weight of the mechanism and the rotatable member and cards, together with the abutment of the sliders 84 and 85 against the bearings 49 and 6!, will hold the linkage in either of the positions shown, after it has once moved into that position.

The braking action of the bearing 6| effectively holds the rotatable file in any position relative to the support mechanism to which it may be moved, even when the file is unbalanced by removal of a tray. Whenever desired, the brake friction may be varied to increase this holding action.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is not intended that the invention is to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but shall include all of the changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A mechanism adapted to support a rotary file for swinging movement between a storage position inside a housing and an operative position outside the housing, said housing having opposed and substantially parallel side panels, and said mechanism comprising a pair of links connected to each of said side panels for swinging movement in planes parallel to the panels between said positions on opposite sides of a center line passing through the axes of said swinging movement, one of the links of each of said pairs being swingably supported at the tops of said panels, and the others being supported for swinging movement adjacent the bottom of each panel, one of the links of each pair comprising an arm with a slider mounted thereon for longitudinal movement therealong, and the other being an arm connected for swinging movement to the panel side of said slider, the former of each of said arms carrying a bearing on the swingable portion thereof, and a shaft rotatably supported by said bearings for carrying said rotary file.

2. A mechanism adapted to support a rotary file for swinging movement between a storage position inside a housing and an operative position outside the housing, said housing having opposed and substantially parallel side panels, and said mechanism comprising a pair of links connected to each of said side panels for swinging movement in planes parallel to the panels and between said positions necessitating the passing of each pair of links across a plane passing through the axes of said swinging movement,

one of the links of each of said pairs being swingably supported at the tops of said panels, and the others being supported for swinging movement adjacent the bottom of each panel, one of the links of each pair comprising an arm with a slider mounted thereon, and the other being an arm connected for swinging movement to the outside of said slider, the former of each of said arms carrying a bearing on the swingable end thereof, a shaft rotatably supported by said bearings for carrying said rotary file, and adjustable means for placing a predetermined friction on said shaft for holding the shaft and rotary file in any position to which it is turned.

3. A mechanism adapted to support a rotary file for swinging movement between two positions and comprising a support, a pair of links carried by said support for swinging movement betweensaid two positions on opposite sides of a central plane, one of the links of each pair comprising an arm of uniform sectional size with a slider mounted thereon for movement therealong, and the other being an arm connected for rotary movement to the outside of said slider, the former of each of said arms carrying a bearing on the swingable end thereof, and a shaft rotatably supported by said bearings and adapted to carry said rotary file, said sliders being mounted for abutment against said bearings to hold the linkage in either of said two positions.

SOPHIE E. BRUEN,

Erecutria: of the Last Will and Testament of George C. Bruen, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iiie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 796,199 Ellett et al. Aug. 1, 1905 884,457 Boydelatour Apr. 14, 1908 1,236,960 McMillan Aug. 14, 1917 2,185,869 Seeley Jan. '2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 80,771 Germany May 10, 1895 

